Carton construction



0a. 1a, 1966 t E. CORNISH 3,279,676

CARTON CONSTRUCTION Filed March 9, 1964 INVENTOR aw/4 90 CORN/5H 47' TOPNEY United States Patent 3,279,676 CARTON CONSTRUCTION Edward Cornish, 576 E. Front St., Perrysburg, Ohio Filed Mar. 9, 1964. Ser. No. 350,258 7 Claims. (Cl. 22914) This invention relates to cartons of the kind employed for packaging foods, beverages and other goods for storage and transportation. It concerns particularly insulated cartons of this nature that are used for transporting frozen packaged food.

Cartons for storing and transporting relatively heavy goods, packaged frozen food and other goods having relatively high unit weight are beset by diificulties in providing suitable means through which the carton may be grasped during handling. Such cartons have conventionally been of box board or other paper materials and many of them are subjected to conditions of high moisture, which tends to weaken the paper or box board, so that the conventional slotted openings in the end walls of the carton usually provided as handholds become inoperative because sections of the end walls surrounding the handholds become torn and the cartons thereby rendered unusable.

The slotted openings in the end walls of the cartons heretofore provided as handhold-s have a serious drawback in the case of cartons insulated with a formed-inplace plastic foam, such as polyurethane foam. Unless the slotted opening was closed in some way during the foaming operation, foam would exude from the opening with consequent incomplete insulation of the carton or the handhold must be provided in the end wall of the carton subsequent to the foaming operation which was costly and ineflicient compared with stamping out the opening at the time the box board or other paper is cut to form the blank from which the carton is made.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a carton and especially an insulated carton with a handgrip that is relatively simple and inexpensive but also effective to reinforce the handhold against the stresses encountered when a heavily loaded carton is handled, thereby adding substantially to the useful life of the carton.

It is another object of the invention to provide a handgrip particularly adapted for insulated cartons in which the insulation is a foamed-in-place plastic or other foam, which will permit the foam to be formed in the space between the carton wall and an inner liner and when the' foam has solidified will cooperate with the handgrip to additionally resist stresses to provide a convenient, easily grasped handgrip that will better distribute stresses.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a handgrip of this kind which will be inexpensive and easily incorporated in an insulated carton so that its use is economically feasible in relatively low-cost cartons.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an insulated carton incorporating my invention therein.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the same taken on a line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the same taken on a line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the appliance that is incorporated in the carton according to the present invention. 7

While the present invention is applicable to most conventional paper board cartons; such as those containing canned or bottled beverages, frozen packaged foods, and other relatively heavy goods, it is particularly useful in cartons of the kind in which an outer casing or carton body encloses an inner liner spaced from the outer casings 3,279,676 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 so that the liner may be completely surrounded by a filling of insulating material.

Preferably this insulation filling is a foamed-in-place insulation such as polyurethane foam which is caused to form within the space between the carton body and the liner. This is a conventional process in which the liner and the carton are held in spaced relation by suitable fixtures and the polyurethane or other solidifiable, foamable fluid introduced into the space and then allowed to expand into a foam that completely fills the space. The foam is then allowed to solidify and when rigid it secures together the liner and the outer carton body and at the same time provides insulation so that heated or cooled products within the container may be maintained at safe-keeping temperatures over a number of hours while they are transported from a warehouse to a distributing point or retail establishment.

The carton shown in the drawings as an embodiment of a present invention includes an outer carton body 12 of conventional form having side walls 14 and end walls 16. It is also provided with suitable closing means such as flaps 18 which fold down to close the upper normally open side of the carton. Within the carton is a liner 20 usually conforming to the shape of the carton body 12 but being sufliciently smaller than the said body to allow a space 22 between the liner and carton body. space 22 is filled with suitable insulating material, preferably a plastic foam such as polyurethane foam 24.

In the present embodiment of the invention, each the end walls 16 of the carton is provided with a hand opening 30 which may be in the form of a slot cut in the end wall which slot is usually cut or stamped out at the time the paper board blank is made from which the carton is formed.

Associated with the hand opening is a handgrip 32 which reinforces the opening and provides for convenient grasping of the carton. The handgrip is concave or box shaped and has a rear wall 34 surrounded by side walls 36 and top and bottom walls 38 and 40, respectively. Each of the side walls 36 terminates in a flange 42, which is substantially normal to said wall; the bottom wall 40 terminates in a flange 44 that is located in the plane of the flanges 42; and the upper wall 38 terminates in a flange 46. While the flanges 42 and 44 are approximately in the same plane, the flange 46 is offset slightly from said plane approximately the thickness of the end wall of the outer carton body. The grip may be made of sheet metal, plastic molded impregnated paper or other strong rigid material.

The grip is applied to the carton prior to the installation of the foam or other insulation. The flange 46 is passed through the slotted opening 30 and hooked to the outside of the upper edge of the slot. The lower flange 44 is then flattened against the inner face of the end wall and held to the face at a location below the lower edge of the slotted opening by any suitable means such as, for instance, as a piece of pressure sensitive adhesive tape 46 placed over the margin of the lower flange and over the face of the end wall of the outer carton.

When the grip is thus positioned, the flanges 42 and 44 are then flat against the inner face of the end wall. When the insulation is now foamed in place, it rises in the space between the end wall and the liner and passes around and surrounds the grip but does not exude through the opening 30 because this opening is now walled in by the grip. The foam forces the grip toward the end wall, but

such movement of the grip is resisted by the flanges 42 and 44 in contact with the inner face of the wall, while upward movement of the grip under influence of the rising foam is prevented by the upper flange 46 hooked over the upper edge of the slotted opening in the end wall.

This

: After the foam rigidifies, the grip is held firmly in place, is prevented from moving inwardly away from the end wall by the foam pressing against the inner face of the grip including the flanges 42 and 44 in contact with the inner face of the end wall.

It is preferred that the upper wall 38 of the grip be canted slightly downwardly from the bottom 34 toward the flange 46 so that a lifting force on the grip tends to urge the grip inwardly by camming action between the wall 38 and the foamed insulation, and to exert lifting force on the foamed insulation as well as on the end wall of the carton. Also the canted relation of the wall 38 facilitates grasping of the grip by the fingers and helps prevent the carton from slipping from the grasp.

I claim:

1.:A carton construction comprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and having at least two walls spaced from the corresponding walls of the body, a hand hold in each of such corresponding walls of the body formed by an opening through said wall, a hand grip associated with said opening and being of concave configuratiomthe hand grip being received over said opening in each said wall of the carton body between said wall and said shell with the concavity facing the opening, and insulation material in the spaces between the outer carton body and the inner shell vand surrounding the hand grip at said opening.

2. A carton construction comprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and having at least two walls spaced from the corresponding walls of the body, a hand hold in each of such corresponding walls of the body formed by an opening through said wall, a-hand grip-associated with said opening and being of concave configuration," the hand grip being received over said opening in each said wall of the carton body between said wall and said shell with the concavity facing the opening, and resin foam in the spaces between the outer carton body and the inner shell and surrounding the hand grip at said opening 3. A carton comprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and having at least its end walls spaced from the end walls of the body, a hand hold in each of the ends of the carton body formed by an opening through said end wall, a hand grip associated with said opening and of box-shaped configuration with bottom and sides, the hand grip being received over said opening in eachend wall of the carton'body between said wall and said shell with the sides framing said opening, and insulation material'in the spaces between the outer carton body and the inner shell and surrounding the hand grip.

4. A carton camprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and having at least its end walls spaced from the end walls of the body, a hand hold in each of the ends of the carton body formed byan opening through said end wall, a hand grip associated with said opening and of box-shaped configuration with bottom and sides, one of said sides terminating in a flange extending transversely to and outwardly with respect to its respective side, the hand grip being received over said opening in each end wall of the carton body at the inside of said wall with the sides framing said opening, said flange being at the top of the opening and received through theopening and disposed at the outside of the end WET, and insulation material in the spaces between the outer carton body and the inner shell and surrounding the hand grip.

5. A carton comprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and having at least its end walls spaced from the end walls of the body, a hand hold in each of the ends of the carton body formed by an opening through said end wall adjacent the upper: edge of the end wall, a hand grip associated with said opening and 1 of box-shaped configuration with bottom and sides, each i of said sides extending upwardly from the bottom and 3 terminating in a flangeextending transversely to and l outwardly with respect to its respective side, the hand 1 grip being received over said opening in each end wall of the carton body at the inside of said wall with the sides framing said opening, all of. said flanges except the one i at the top of the opening being disposed at the inside surface of the end wall and the flange at the top of the opening being received through the openings and disposed at the outside surface of the end wall, and insulation material in the spaces between the outer carton body and the inner shell and surrounding the hand grip.

6. A carton for containing frozen packaged food comprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and spaced atits bottom and four sides from the walls of the body, a hand hold in each of the ends of the 1 carton body formed by an opening through said end wall, a hand grip associated with said opening and of box-shaped configuration with bottom and sides, each of said sides extending upwardly from the bottom and terminating in a flange extending transversely to and outwardly with respect to its respective side, the hand grip being received over said opening in each end wall of the carton body at the inside of said wall with the sides framing said opening, all of said flanges except the one i at the top of the opening being disposed flat against the 1 inside surface of the end wall and the flange at the top of the opening being received through the opening and lying flat against the outside surface of the end wall, and

resin foam filling the spaces between the outerv carton body and the inner shell and intimately surrounding the hand grip and helping to fix it in place at said opening. L

7. A- carton for containing frozen packaged food comprising an outer carton body, an inner shell within the body and spaced at its bottom and four sides from the walls of the body, a hand hold in each of the endsof the 1 carton body formed by an opening through said end wall adjacent the upper edge of the end wall, a hand grip associated with said opening and of box-shaped configuration with bottom and sides, each of said sides extending .upwardly from the bottom and terminating in a flange extending transversely to and outwardly with respect to its respective side, the hand .grip being received over said opening in each end wall of the carton body at the, in-

side of said wall with the sides framing said opening,

the upper side of said grip being canted downwardly. and outwardly, all of said flanges except the one at the top of the opening being disposed flat against the inside surface of the end wall and the flange at the top of the opening being received through the openings and lying flat against the outside surface of end wall, and resinfoam filling the spaces between the outer carton body and the inner shell and surrounding the hand grip and helping to fix it in place at said opening;

References Cited by the Examiner Smithers 2293-14 JOSEPH RFLECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Ex'aminer. 

5. A CARTON COMPRISING AN OUTER CARTON BODY, AN INNER SHELL WITHIN THE BODY AND HAVING AT LEAST ITS END WALLS SPACED FROM THE END WALLS OF THE BODY, A HAND HOLD IN EACH OF THE ENDS OF THE CARTON BODY FORMED BY AN OPENING THROUGH SAID END WALL ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE END WALL, A HAND GRIP ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OPENING AND A BOX-SHAPED CONFIGURATION WITH BOTTOM AND SIDES, EACH OF SAID SIDES EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM AND TERMINATING IN A FLANGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO AND OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO ITS RESPECTIVE SIDE, THE HAND GRIP BEING RECEIVED OVER SAID OPENING IN EACH END WALL OF THE CARTON BODY AT THE INSIDE OF SAID WALL WITH THE SIDES FRAMING SAID OPENING, ALL OF SAID FLANGES EXCEPT THE ONE AT THE TOP OF THE OPENING BEING DISPOSED AT THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE END WALL AND THE FALNGE AT THE TOP OF THE OPENING BEING RECEIVED THROUGH THE OPENINGS AND DISPOSED AT THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF THE END WALL, AND INSULATION MATERIAL IN THE SPACES BETWEEN THE OUTER CARTON BODY AND THE INNER SHELL AND SURROUNDING THE HAND GRIP. 